Timeframe: Driving home a safety message on the streets of Abu Dhabi

In March 1974, this wreck was mounted by the side of the road used in Abu Dhabi to encourage more cautious driving. It’s a timely flashback this week, given that after years of a generous speed buffer, Abu Dhabi drivers are now required to observe the speed signposted or face fines.

The removal of the buffer is part of a scheme by Abu Dhabi Police and the Department of Transport to improve driving conditions, as it was reported that last year, 230 of 525 road fatalities were caused by speeding.

While road infrastructure and vehicle safety has certainly improved in the last 44 years, vehicles are also faster and we arguably deal with more distractions.

From what we know, this image was taken by Michel Laurent, who was said to be the last photojournalist to die in the Vietnam War.